Government Reaches Out to Opposition to End Parliament Deadlock Over NEET Paper Leak

NEW DELHI: The government is reaching out to the opposition leaders to break the deadlock in Parliament over the NEET paper leak issue, government sources told news agency ANI on Thursday. This is a fresh effort from the government's side to end the repeated disruptions that have stalled proceedings through the first week of the Monsoon session. According to government sources, the Centre has conveyed to opposition parties that it is ready for a discussion on the alleged NEET paper leak but wants the debate to take place "without any preconditions", including the opposition's demand for the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The government is also likely to convene a meeting of floor leaders soon in an attempt to build consensus on holding the discussion, the sources said. The outreach comes amid a continuing impasse in Parliament, where proceedings have been repeatedly disrupted over the issue. Earlier in the day, Union home minister Amit Shah met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned amid sustained protests by opposition members. Before Shah's meeting with the Speaker, leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress MPs Saugata Roy and Mahua Moitra were among the opposition leaders who met Birla. During Question Hour, the Speaker had asked opposition leaders to meet him to discuss the duration and scheduling of a debate on the NEET paper leak issue. The government has maintained that it is prepared for a discussion but has accused the opposition of insisting on Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as a condition for participating in the debate. Opposition parties have been demanding accountability over the alleged examination irregularities and have pressed for the minister to step down. The Monsoon session, which began on Monday, has witnessed repeated adjournments as opposition parties protested over the NEET paper leak and the alleged theft of donations from the Ram temple. Police action against Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led protests in Delhi has also figured prominently in the opposition's protests inside Parliament.